purposity
Two kinds of causes that are often confounded. -- This seems to me to be one of my most essential steps and advances: I have learned to distinguish the cause of acting from the cause of acting in a particular way, in a particular direction, with a particular goal. The first kind of cause is a quantum of dammed-up energy that is waiting to be used up somehow, for something, while the second kind is, compared to this energy, something quite insignificant, for the most part a little accident in accordance with which the quantum "discharges" itself in one particular way -- a match versus a ton of powder. Among these little accidents and "matches" I include so-called "purposes" as well as the even much more so-called "vocations"; they are relatively random [beliebig], arbitrary, almost indifferent in relation to the tremendous quantum of energy that presses, as I have said, to be used up somehow. The usual view is different: People are accustomed to consider the goal (purposes, vocations, etc.) as the driving force, in keeping with a very ancient error; but it is merely the directing force -- one has mistaken the helmsman for the steam. And not even always the helmsman, the directing force.We still
Is the "goal," the "purpose" not often enough a beautifying pretext, a self-deception of vanity after the event that does not want to acknowledge that the ship is following the current into which it has entered accidentally? that it "wills" to go that way because it -- must? that it has a direction, to be sure, but -- no helmsman at all?
We still need a critique of "purpose." (360) Said Local 6's Friedrich Neegee, auteur of Gay Science.
NASA Astronaut Faces Attempted First-Degree Murder Charge
Police: Woman Drove 900 Miles In Diaper To Avoid Stopping
Police said Nowak was carrying a steel mallet, BB gun, a new folding knife, some rubber tubing and some large plastic bags.Authorities believe Nowak drove 900 miles in a diaper to avoid stopping during the trip.
"Police found a bag of diapers in the suspect's car that the suspect admits to using so she didn't have to stop and take any bathroom breaks on the trip," Local 6's Jessica D'Onorio said.
do.
posted by Tom Matrullo at Tuesday, February 06, 2007
2 Comments:
What will happen when we're all gone from here? of course that will happen and the simple fact that none of it ever really mattered very much will ripple forward. Joke's on us I suppose.
Still, there was that one blip in time when even seemingly insignificant disagreements were pregnant with meaning -- each one an opportunity to get to our own human-ness though Voice.
in the most random, accidental, non-purposeful, improvisational -- even banal -- interactions, we learned so much more than from the abundance of punditry and Wisdom we're presented with across the blogworld right now.
thank you, tom.
yup - and, if some punditron wants to argue that there's a higher banal, let's ice his balls.
Post a Comment
<< Home